This invention is directed to cleaning equipment and, more particularly, to an insert for a bucket for containing a cleaning liquid.
Containers such as mop buckets for holding a cleaning fluid are well known in the prior art. These containers are used for cleaning purposes by placing a quantity of a fluid, such as water in combination with a detergent which includes a surfactant, in the bucket. A cleaning instrument such as a mop or sponge is wetted by placement in the liquid. The instrument is then withdrawn from the liquid and excess liquid is removed by squeezing with the hand or using a wringer coupled with either the container of the instrument. The instrument is then applied to the surface to be cleaned and dirt on the surface is loosened and picked up by the instrument. The dirt is then transferred to the cleaning liquid when the instrument is replaced in the container and agitated to remove the entrained dirt.
This method of cleaning is disadvantageous in that a portion of the solids which are suspended in the cleaning liquid in the container are picked up by the cleaning instrument and transferred to the surface to be cleaned. Although most of the suspended solids will settle to the bottom of the container after a period of time, agitation of the instrument in the liquid creates a turbulent or mixing force which causes the precipitated solids to mix with the liquid. As cleaning continues using the same solution, dirt is redeposited onto the surface being cleaned whenever the instrument is dipped back into the solution. The cleaning liquid should eventually be discarded and renewed when the concentration of suspended solids becomes excessive, although this is seldom done on a timely basis. This cleaning method thus results in inefficient use of labor and materials.
Even if the cleaning instrument is carefully placed in the liquid so that the mixing is held to a mimimum, unsatisfactory cleaning results may still be obtained since the instrument must normally be agitated to sucessfully remove the entrained dirt and solids so they are not transferred to the surface in need of cleaning. In addition, the fibrous elements of cleaning instruments such as mops often come into contact with the settled solids, causing the solids to mix with the liquid and decreasing the cleaning efficiency of the liquid.